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Behind The Lens Road Diary Anaheim

Canucks photographer Jeff Vinnick joined the team for their four-game road swing through Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Jose, and Edmonton.

He's kindly agreed to share a few thoughts, and hopefully and slew of pictures over the next week as he captures action behind the scenes.

ANAHEIM, Day Two:

It's the day after a loss and that's always tough - especially because it's now two in a row. The guys do take it hard. The trip from the rink last night was one of the quietest buses I’ve been on. Both games were close - well, Pittsburgh was definitely a coin flip...

Regardless, that's in the past. We're now on to Anaheim for the much-anticipated rematch with Big Bert and the Ducks.

The last time I was here, Scott Niedermayer floated a lucky puck down from the blue line and inadvertently propelled the Ducks on to their first ever Stanley Cup championship. Yes, that one stung.

It wasn’t so much the loss really - the Canucks were banged up and were playing with the gas pedal pinned to the floorboard the whole series – but the way they lost. Funny how it always seems to work that way.

Luongo perpetrated grand theft for most of that series, yet a crummy dump-in squirts under his pad in OT. That just stunk.

On the upside, the guys have a prime opportunity to exorcise those demons tomorrow night – all but Roberto I suppose.

It's been a rather strange day here: a couple minor injuries with major implications (Roberto and Mo), and Scott Niedermayer making his return to the NHL. And oh yeah, Snoop Dog is in the house watching our boys practice. I’m half expecting it to snow this afternoon.

One of the things fans probably don’t realize, is the camaraderie that exists between players. The first thing some of the older guys did when they arrived at the Honda Center, was head to the benches for the Ducks’ practice to say hello to old friends like Brad May and big Todd B.

Hockey isn’t like basketball and football, where players hug and chat amicably on the court. It’s all business during games, but these guys understand that the animosity stays on the ice. In fact, it’ll be strange to see them going head-to-head tomorrow night after watching them clown around today.